The Outcast
by Kennytheshark
Summary: Thomas knew that his choice of joining Kronos was the worst mistake he made in his life. Now, he must choose if he will become a new person or remain an outcast. Six new demigods, two from the past, action, betrayal, and adventure dot the story. Plz R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. This is my second story. If you want to see my first story it's called 'A Heart of Death.' Enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 1

Fear seemed to press against Thomas' lungs, suffocating him. Ever since that fateful day when he met the boy on the ship, things kept on going wrong. He knew from the moment he joined Kronos, things would never be the same. His once friends were now his enemies. He was no longer one of them, the heroes. To them, he was the villain, the traitor, and the bad guy. He regretted his choice but he knew that nothing could change the past. Why did he do it? Thomas knew the answer, fear.

Fear was a powerful weapon which he knew well. His mother, an ex-celebrity, was an alcoholic and had abused Thomas before he had run away. His fear of her allowed his mother to use him like a slave. Not a day went by for Thomas, without remembering what his mother had done to him. After a day of being beaten and cursed at by his mother, he had decided to flee. He met up with a satyr and they became fast friends. However without knowing it, a monster followed behind them waiting for the perfect time to strike.

It found that moment when they were about to enter Camp Half Blood. The satyr was killed in the attack but Thomas managed to cross the boundary in time. He never forgot the satyr who he had called a friend nor did he forget the pain and miserable feelings that followed afterward. After a few years of being stuffed in the Hermes Cabin, the bitterness he had felt before filled his heart. He blamed everything wrong on the gods and constantly reminded himself to hate his father who during those years had not even claimed him.

In doing so, his heart started to harden and when Kronos began to rise, Thomas joined the Titan in hope of getting revenge. Instead of helping his situation, his choice just made things worse. Losing the only friends he had, he found himself alone. The monsters cared little about him and Kronos used him like a pawn. When Percy had warned a boy like him, a traitor, he realized that not everything was as bad and rotten as he perceived. After he met Percy, he wanted to leave but couldn't bring himself to do it because of his fear of Kronos. The battle in New York started out promising but ended in humiliating defeat and Thomas was alone. All of these thoughts came into his mind as he slept under the shade of a make shift lean-to. _I've got no one but myself._

Lily Smith was watering her plants, gently humming a tune to herself. _Taking care of these little guys brings me great joy and peace. I wonder why?_ She silently thought. The plants under her care had sprouted two weeks earlier than they were suppose to and had grown to full size in just a few days. Just then, her dad knocked on her door saying, "Lily, Max came by again. Do you want me to send him to your room or would you like to go down and meet him?" Lily washed her hands with the sink in her bathroom. "I'll go down and meet him. Tell him to wait a minute." Her dad nodded and closed the door. Lily thought suspiciously, _He's been coming here more than usual. I wonder what's going on._

Thomas had stolen a few loaves of bread and was eating one as he got ready to travel. The only possessions he had in the world all lay on the ground before him. A backpack, a flashlight, some clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a canteen half full with water, the loaves of bread he had stolen, and his sword and shield were all that he had. Taking his time, he packed his stuff into the backpack. After that, he strapped his shield firmly on his back and made sure his sword was firmly at his side. He walked down a street trying not to look too strange. _There only one good thing about not having a home, _he sadly thought. _It's much easier to move._

Lily was chatting with Max but she could see that something was bothering him. Max was a vegetarian, had a strange way of walking, and always carried a reed pipe around. He was looking outside the window as if he was expecting any moment for something to jump in. "What's wrong?" Lily asked after Max looked back out the window for probably the hundredth time. "Nothing," he replied as he kept on looking out the window.

Lily followed his gaze and thought she saw a huge shadow. She blinked for a few moments and looked at Max for explanations but he wasn't any longer in his chair. He was at the door locking it to the complete max. "What are you doing?" she asked in unbelief. He had never acted like this when she was with him. Before he could respond, a loud bark shook the house. She was frozen with fear for a few moments before taking a peek out the window. A huge dog-like monster the size of a tractor was outside the house. Max shuddered and mumbled, "Why couldn't they just send a small one just this once? Why does it always have to be a hellhound?" Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was almost like she was hearing a different person. "What is that?" she asked in a small voice. He replied, "A monster."

Thomas was taking a break on a picnic table. The sun glared down on him and he was dripping with sweat. He took a quick sip from his canteen, resisting the urge to gulp down all of the content. He was considering the idea of stealing from a shop again until he heard a sound like an artillery cannon. Most people would have just passed it for a big accident but Thomas knew better. It was the same kind of monster that had killed his friend, a hellhound.

After trying to answer every question Lily asked, Max had a conversation with her father about taking her to a place called 'Camp Half Blood.' She was curious about what it was like. Max had told her that the camp had a lot of people just like her. She had asked before, "What do you mean 'like me.' Do I have a problem that other kids have as well?" "It's not like that." "Then what?" "Uh, um, look I'll tell you later." She looked outside the window and stared at the hellhound. It had begun to circle the house making sure no one got in and that no got out. "Mr. Smith, she has to go. Now that a monster knows who she is, others will follow." When Lily had first heard the conversation Max was having with her father, she expected her father to burst out laughing and tell him that he was crazy. In contrast, Lily's father looked dead-worried. "I'll drive you two there," he stated gravely with sadness in his eyes. "There's only one problem," Max said as he stared at the hellhound circling the house.

Thomas went at steady pace toward the sound. On the day his friend had been killed, he had vowed to slay every hell-hound he could get his hands on. So far, he had not broken it. He shrugged his shield onto his left arm and put one hand on his sword. Remaining completely still, he tried to hear where the hellhound was. Soft thuds could be heard as the monster paced around a house. _What are you up to?_ Thomas tried scanning the area for other demigods. The fields surrounding the house were desolate except for the hellhound. _Then what is the hellhound so attracted to? It couldn't be a demigod unless….. _Thomas tried looking closely at a window on the first floor. A girl, a man, and a boy walking in a strange way, were running back and forth inside. _So that's why._

Lily had begun to pack. Max had told her to travel light so that they could move fast. She had wondered if the current situation was a dream but decided it wasn't, after pinching herself a dozen times. During the time she packed, Max and her father discussed about how to deal with the monster, which they called a 'hellhound,' outside. "I think I can trap it with some roots but it will only stop it for a moment." "Do you know any other spells that can slow it down?" "I could make a wall around it but it crumbles in a few minutes." "Just do anything to slow it down while I drive." Max nodded and asked, "Lily, you done?" "Yes," she replied softly. "All right, let's go!"

Thomas scrolled through the attack tactics in his head. _I'll just sneak up to it and give it a good slice._ Running forward, he advanced on the hellhound but stopped abruptly when he saw the garage of the house open. _Do they want to commit suicide? _The hellhound had noticed the movement as well and started to dash toward the opening. A car zoomed out of the garage nearly hitting a mailbox. The monster was about to change direction when all of a sudden, the roots and the grass under it, tangled the hellhound's legs. Thomas knew only a certain magical race that could do spells like that, satyrs. The hellhound, however, tore at the roots and grass and continued to chase the car. A curious Thomas followed.

Lily was scared half-to-death at the speed the car was going. Her fear grew again when she saw the hellhound rip through the feeble roots and continued to tail behind the car at an alarming speed. Her father devoted his whole concentration on driving, trying his best to avoid crashing. Lily looked behind her and was surprised at the sight. There was nothing there. Max had looked back as well and breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, it's gone." "Look out!" shouted Mr. Smith.

Suddenly, a bright flash of black smashed into the car knocking it off the road. Lily screamed as the car rolled over and over the ground. Finally, the car stopped. Max groaned and sat up in his seat and Lily felt nauseous. "Dad, are you okay?" she asked dizzily. There was no reply. "Dad?" Still no reply. "Dad!" she screamed. Her father's unconscious body lay slumped on his seat. "Lily, we have to go!" Max shouted. "We can't just leave him!" "The monster doesn't want him. He wants you!" "But-." Lily was cut off by a chorus of growls around them. She looked out of her seat's window and yelped. Surrounding the car, were more than a dozen hellhounds!

Thomas had seen the car crash and roll over. He found it hard to believe that anyone survived. _Even if they do survive, the hellhounds will get them. _The monsters began to close in for the kill. Before he could consider his battle plan, an earth wall surrounded the car. _This satyr's smarter than I thought although he won't last for long if I don't help. Well, here I go. _He charged. The hellhounds, too concentrated on knocking down the wall, didn't notice the threat until it was too late. Thomas had reduced three hellhounds to mounds of dust before the others could react. The nearest one sprang at Thomas and he raised his shield bracing for impact. A sharp _twang _and a _thud _brought the hellhound down before it could reach Thomas. Turning toward the sound, he saw a boy around his age with a bow and arrow. 

With precision and ease, the boy shot the others quickly and efficiently without delay. Thomas' focus went back to the fight taking down any monster the archer missed. The wall began to crack as the spell weakened. The remaining hellhounds slammed into the wall with renewed energy. But their effort was in vain as their progress was cut short by a volley of arrows from the boy. Right when the last hellhound had been killed, the wall crumbled and then there silence. Thomas turned to look at the mysterious archer and headed toward him. When they were within talking range, the he asked, "Who are you?" The archer replied, "I'm Jack Romo and you are?" Before Thomas could reply, a voice came behind them saying, "Where in the world did you learn that?"

**What'd you think? Do you think it lacks something? Please review and give me your feedbacks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Sorry for not writing for a while. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Lily was pretty sure that once the wall crumbled, that it was the end for them. She had closed her eyes waiting for the end. However, after seeing that she wasn't dead and that she hadn't felt any pain, she opened her eyes. She saw two boys dressed like they were in the Trojan Wars, destroying the hellhounds. _Am I dreaming it or are those guys around my age? _She rubbed her eyes and looked again. They were indeed boys around her age but they fought like professionals.

One, the boy with a bow, released arrow after arrow into the demons, never missing a single shot. The other, holding a big thick shield and heavy sword, sliced through any hellhound he could get near to. Each monster when killed would explode in an array of golden dust. The field was soon cleansed of monsters and the two warriors took a breather. When she saw that things were safe, she checked on her father and her friend, Max.

Lily crawled through the debris of the car to her father. The seatbelt had prevented Mr. Smith from critical damage but was unconscious from bumping hard into the ceiling of the car. She unclipped the seatbelt and moved her father's body into a more comfortable position and quickly pulled out his cell phone out of his pocket. As fast as she could, she called 911 and was promised that an ambulance would come immediately. Satisfied that her father would be safe soon, she moved on to Max.

The sight was not good. Max had suffered several bruises to the head knocking him out cold. Cuts and scratches dotted his arms and chest. She was about to move him so that he could lie down on the backseats until she saw his legs. His pants had ripped showing shaggy red hair. _What the-. _Then she saw the area where his feet should have been. But instead of feet, she saw hooves! _This can't be happening. Monsters, teenage warriors, and now my friend has goat hooves. Am I going crazy? _She looked at her rescuers who had begun to chat. Without hesitation, she walked to them and asked, "Where in the world did you learn that?"

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><p>Thomas was thankful that the girl had interrupted the conversation but soon realized that another one was about to begin. Jack smiled and replied, "Why, right at Camp Half Blood. You heard of it?" Lily nodded and stated, "I've heard of it but I don't know much about it except that it has kids that are like me." "Correct but do you know what's unique about us?" Lily pondered for a moment. Thomas, noticing an opportunity, slowly started to tip-toe away from them. <em>It won't be pretty if this guy finds out who I am. Better get out of here when I can. <em>Unfortunately, Lily caught sight of him. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

_Great, more talking! _"Nowhere," he said dumbly. "That wasn't what it looked like. It looked more like you were about to run for it." "No, it wasn't," Thomas said as he reddened. Lily rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think it's about time that I made my introduction. I'm Lily Smith." Jack with a flourish said, "Jack Romo, son of Apollo, at your service." "Apollo," Lily breathed, "You mean like the Greek gods and goddesses? "Yup." She stopped talking for a second, putting all the pieces together. "So, you mean that my mom is a goddess?" Jack nodded. Thomas again tried to inch his way from Jack and Lily. "Hey, where are you going?" Lily asked.

_How can she see me? I'm right behind her. She couldn't have seen me unless she has eyes at the back of her head. _"Okay, seriously, why do you want to go?" "Um, no reason." Lily sighed. "Oh yeah, anybody could see that, especially if you act like you're in a minefield. Oh, I forgot. What's your name and who's your parent?" Thomas didn't reply. _What to say, what to say? _Lily, after hearing no reply, looked at Jack for answers. He shook his head saying, "I was about to ask when you came in." "Wait, you guys don't know each other?" "I've never seen him in my whole li-. Wait, hold on. What's you're name again?"

_I gotta say something. _"Um, Tom." Jack frowned in concentration. "Tom, hmm, reminds me of a guy named Thom-." He stopped abruptly and as quick as lightning, he drew an arrow pointing it at Thomas' heart. "I should have known it was you. The only reason that I didn't kill you when I first saw you was because I almost forgot what you looked like but now it's as fresh as ever." The ache from the loneliness in Thomas' heart started to swell. "Get out of here. I'll only give you one chance to leave. If you come into my sight again, I'll make sure that it will be your last." Thomas held Jack's stare for a few moments before heading toward the wooded area.

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><p>Lily watched confused as her gaze followed Thomas until the darkness of the woods surrounded him. When Jack realized it was all clear, he lowered his bow and slowly put the arrow back in his quiver. "I'm sorry about that," he said apologetically. "Why'd you tell him to run off? Did you guys have a fight or something?" Jack's eyes flashed with anger. "Of course not, the reason I did that was because he is a traitor." Lily still looked at him confused. The fury in his eyes subsided. "I'm sorry I flashed out like that. It's a long story but right now we don't have time for that. We have to get you to Camp Half Blood before more monsters attack.<p>

"But what about my dad and Max?" "Don't worry. We'll take care of them, first. But after that, we have to get you to Camp Half Blood right away." Lily gulped and asked, "Are there more hellhounds after me?" Jack replied as he headed toward the wreckage of the car, "You think that hellhounds are bad? Wait till you see what a real monster looks like." Lily shuddered and followed having a strange feeling that she was being watched. Jack instructed Lily, "Move your father to the highway. I'll handle your satyr friend, here." _Satyr, another creature from Greek Mythology. This is really happening. If the things from Greek Mythology do exist, then what other terrible things exist._

The ambulance arrived and Max woke up. Even though he was advised to go to the hospital, he refused. Lily's father was in a bad state and she hated the idea of leaving him alone. But she had learned that wherever demigods went, trouble went with them. So with tears in her eyes, she departed with Max and Jack. Max, since waking up, had not stopped beating himself up for not protecting Lily better. "If only I had learned more spells instead of watching the Animal Channel, then I might have been better at protecting you. I'm so sorry, Lily." Lily had begun to get really uncomfortable and annoyed of Max thinking that what he had done was almost unforgivable.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "You nearly got yourself killed protecting me and now you're sorry that I got hurt. Look at yourself! You're almost in the same shape as my dad! I forgive you, for Pete's sake. In fact, if there's anyone who should say 'sorry,' it should be me!" Max hardly listened and continued insulting himself. Lily let out an exasperated sigh. Jack barged in before she could say another sentence. "Come on, we have to get to Camp Half Blood before some monsters find us." The fear of being attacked jolted Lily back into the focus.

She quickly picked up her bag which she had left in the car. She was about to say that she was ready, until they all heard a roar from the forest behind them. Everyone stood still as statues. Another roar ripped through the air. Max stuttered the question Lily wanted to ask. "What was that?" Jack said in a quiet voice. "Great, they already sent another monster." Lily mustered up her courage and asked, "What kind of monster?" "Probably one of the only things that my arrows are useless against, the Nemean Lion."

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><p>Thomas climbed up a tree until he could find a suitable branch to sleep on. Feelings of regret clawed his heart. <em>I have no friends, no family, nothing. If I'd known the consequences, I would have never joined Kronos. But I did and now I'm a nobody. <em>He slept with those depressing thoughts in his mind knowing that he would never be accepted. _Some people say that there are worse things than death. Having no friends are the worst._

Thomas was walking in a world of red and black. _Where am I? _"In my presence, boy. So you better pay some respect." Thomas looked around beholding a tough, bulky, and muscular dude looking at him. _Ares, what does he want? Unless… _Ares smiled. "You catch on fast kid. You're probably the smartest kid of mines for a millennium." Bitter anger rose in Thomas' chest. "Why'd you never tell me that I was your son? If you did, I wouldn't have joined Kronos and that would have saved me from a whole world of pain.

"You were too afraid so I didn't think that it was time for you to know." "Afraid? Me afraid? I fought in a war! I had to get used to the fact that monsters were my allies! I faced all kinds of difficulties and you say I was afraid." Ares raised an eyebrow. "True, but there was one thing you didn't conquer." "What, my own fear, yes, I know that already." "You think you know but in fact, you don't know." "Huh?" "What you're afraid of, is letting go of your past."

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><p>Lily burst out of some bushes trying to keep up with Jack and Max. Jack had set some grasses on fire to put the monster off their tracks but she knew that it would only give them a few minutes. Panting as she went, she followed them as best as she could but could feel herself giving out. <em>If we keep this up, I'm going to drop. <em>A roar resonated through the night sky. Jack stopped momentarily looking behind him. "He's coming. It's useless to run. We'll have to fight." _Fight. _The word was completely out of her vocabulary. "I don't know how to fight," she said trying to find an excuse. "Well then, you'll soon have to."

Lily tried to breathe normally but could not slow down the fast beating of her heart. The roars from the Nemean Lion were coming closer and she was pretty sure that her skill with the small dagger from Jack's belt would not serve her too well. To keep her mind off of the fear that had settled in her mind, she asked questions. "Jack, why are your arrows useless against the Nemean Lion?" "It's because its fur can block anything." "Oh." The fear in her mind multiplied. "Then what good is this dagger?" Jack looked at her funny. "Better to fight with a weapon rather than no weapon at all."

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><p>Thomas woke up to the noise of roaring. Instinctively, he slung his shield unto his arms and drew his sword. He quickly surveyed the field. A fire had started though it had begun to die down. The words of Ares vibrated through his skull. <em>What you're afraid of, is letting go of your past.<em> He heard another roar. This time it was huge. _What kind of monster would roar its head off? Wait, what if-. _Thomas jumped down from the branch landing hard on the ground. His legs creaked with pain but he barely noticed it. _Okay, dad. I'll show you I'm not afraid to let go of my past. I'll prove you wrong._

Lily, Jack, and Max had retreated to a boulder giving them a vantage point of the surrounding places. Max asked, "See anything?" Lily replied, "Nope. What about you Jack?" He shook his head. Lily began to relax. _Maybe the Nemean Lion lost track of us. _A roar shook the ground as a lion jumped into a field a hundred feet in front of them. Jack lifted his bow and aimed an arrow at the lion while Max got ready to blow into his reed pipes. Lily tightened her grasp on the dagger. A few heartbeats of silence went by before the Nemean Lion roared and charged toward the group of teenagers. The fight had begun.

**Cliffhangers! Huzzah! Don't worry! I'll continue it as fast as I can. I think I stay on sad subjects too much so I made a one-shot called 'The Sad Truth About The Stoll Brothers.' It's just for laughs so check it out if you want. Please review this chapter and tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 3

Thomas' ears began to throb painfully from the continuous roaring. _If that thing isn't killed soon, I'm gonna go deaf! _He jogged, conserving most of his energy for the upcoming battle. The roaring all of a sudden stopped for a moment before it started with renewed fury. _It found them. I better hurry. _Breaking his well-paced jog, he started to walk slowly toward the sound of roaring. When he saw that he was approaching an open field, he quickly hid behind a tree. With caution, he took a peek.

The Nemean Lion, as Jack had said, made arrows useless. It was basically a fight where Jack, Max, and Lily dodged the monster's attacks. Thomas thought hard trying to think up an idea. _My sword won't even make a cut. Every single part of its body can withstand anything. _Suddenly, he remembered hearing how Percy had defeated it. I j_ust need to hit the mouth. But first off I have to help them out. But how? _He looked at his shield and the glaring sun. _Perfect. _Positioning his shield to reflect the sunlight, he aimed the beam at the Nemean Lion's eyes.

It did exactly what Thomas wanted. The distraction gave the group time to get some distance from the monster. It also did exactly what Thomas didn't want. After blinking a few times, the lion saw the source of the light. _Uh oh. _Thomas quickly ran toward Jack, Max, and Lily. He could hear the Nemean Lion right behind him. At the last second, he quickly turned around and put his shield in front of him. The charging animal crashed into Thomas causing him to fly backward landing next to Lily. He groaned in pain. _Pain, probably the only friend I have._

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><p>Lily knew things were going to be bad when she saw all of the arrows Jack shot shatter at impact with the monster's body. Max had tried to tangle it with the grass and roots but it proved ineffective when the Nemean Lion ripped it apart with its teeth. Now the boy named Thomas was lying on the ground moaning painfully. Lily concentrated on staying alive and by the ways the others acted; they were doing the same thing. She had to use mostly willpower to dodge the relentless attacks. She began to trip but couldn't regain balance. Before she knew it, she was lying on the grass. The Nemean Lion jumped toward her, mouth open and claws outstretched.<p>

Lily threw up her hands waiting for certain death. In contrast, she only heard a 'thump' and a 'thud.' When she opened her eyes, she could only see earth, literally. Standing before her, stood a six foot tall earth wall. The lion had smacked into it and had dropped to the ground. With a roar, it tried to jump at her again. Unknown power seemed to surge through her body as she got ready to defend herself. She lifted her hand and a similar shaped earth one started to form. The Nemean Lion, unable to stop, smashed into it. Lily formed a fist and the earth hand followed. Swiftly, she brought her fist down and the earth one slammed the monster deep into the soil.

Lily fell to her knees exhausted. _How'd I do that? _Jack was about to ask the same question when the pile of dirt the lion was under, began to rumble. _That thing is invincible. _She tried to summon another earth fist but nothing happened. Max shouted, "Don't try it! You're not used to it, yet. We have to get to Camp Half Blood! It's the only place safe from monsters." Lily could barely hear the words he spoke. She started to sway before passing out from exhaustion.

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><p>Thomas had his mouth wide open the whole time during the battle. <em>How did she do that? <em>He silently vowed to try to never get on her bad side. He shivered at the thought of being the one under the huge fist. _I wonder if she can make other shapes out of the earth. _Thomas again shivered thinking of her making, well, pretty much anything. He saw her drop to her knees and fall to the ground. He considered retreating back deep into the forest but the mound of dirt that the fist had crumbled into caught his eye. Some grains of it began to fall. _What? It can't be alive. Not after-. _The mound began to rumble. _I stand corrected._

The son of Ares watched in horror as the Nemean Lion emerged like a zombie rising out of a grave. Max quickly tried to pull Lily out of the way while Jack notched his last arrow on his bow pointing straight at the monster. Thomas jumped onto his feet drawing his sword and readjusted his shield on his arms. "Why'd you come back?" Jack asked suspiciously without taking his eyes off the lion. "Didn't you hear my warning?" "I thought that you might have needed some help and by looking at the current situation, you do." "We were fine before you came here!" "Oh yeah, considering the fact that you're on your last arrow." Jack just scowled. "Are you going to help or not?" Thomas grinned. "Sure, all we've got to do is open its mouth and you shoot it." "And how are we going to do that?" Thomas looked at the sky looking for a beam from the sun. There was none. _Uh oh, looks like there's gonna have to be a change of plan. _

A flashback gave Thomas a brilliant yet stupid idea. He remembered when he was in kindergarten; a girl had brought her cat for show-and-tell. A boy, not one of the brightest in the class, had pulled the cat by its tail. The cat had yowled with its mouth wide open. _Of course, the boy ended up in the nurse's room and there's no telling what this thing will do to me if I annoy it. Probably kill me. _"Get ready!" Jack looked at him curiously. "For what?" "You'll know it when you see it." The Nemean Lion shook the dust off itself and looked at the nearest target, Thomas. Its eyes were blood red with rage.

Thomas had to bite his tongue to keep himself from screaming and run. The lion bounded toward him. His heart began to speed up as he forced himself to run toward the Nemean Lion. Jack's jaw dropped. "What are you doing?" Thomas didn't reply fearing that if he let up his focus for just a second, he'd end up dead. The distance between him and the monster began to decrease rapidly. _Wait for it. Wait for it….. Now! _At the last moment, he slid under it. As he went under, he grabbed the lion's tail. His armed felt an enormous pain as he jerked to a stop.

An air-piercing scream sounded across the field but stopped in a second as an arrow pierced its mouth. The Nemean Lion dropped to the ground twitching a bit before exploding into dust. Everyone was silent. Thomas let out a big sigh of relief. _That went way better than I expected. _Max was the first to break the silence. "We've got to keep on moving. Let's just hope we don't meet any more monsters." Thomas walked to the pile of dust where the Nemean Lion had been killed. Next to it laid a jacket. _I know what this is. Percy had one like this. It can protect you from even bullets. _

He picked it up and walked toward Jack. "Where'd you get that idea?" "Kindergarten," Thomas replied. Jack looked at him confusingly. "You don't have to know. Anyway, you should have it." Jack stared at the fur jacket for a few seconds with a frown. Surprisingly, he let out a half-grin. "Nah, you keep it." Thomas took a step back shocked. "You killed it so take it." Jack shook his head. "Without your idea, we'd probably be dead. After all, since you're out alone, you'll need some protection."

Thomas wasn't sure what to do or say. "I, um, thanks." This time, Jack let out a full smile but then his expression darkened again. "I'll let this one pass. I'm grateful that you came and helped but the next time you come around, I won't be so nice." Thomas laughed mentally. _What'll you do? You don't have any arrows left. Imaginary arrows don't hurt. _However, Thomas made a good choice to keep those thoughts to himself. "Okay." "Jack, I think Lily's coming around!" shouted Max.

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><p>Lily's eyelids felt like they were concrete but after more than a dozen attempts, she finally managed to open her eyes. The sunlight hurt her eyes as she tried to make out the blurry shapes. She could hear someone calling her name. Lily blinked a few times trying to make out the person leaning over her. It was Max. "Max," she croaked. "You're alive!" Max shouted with relief. "Yeah," she replied slowly. She sat up slowly with Max helping her, winching from the cramps all over her body. A few feet from her she saw Jack chatting with the boy they had met before, which was hard to believe considering what Jack had said to him earlier. She stretched trying to soothe her aching limbs. The boys stopped talking realizing that she was awake and started to walk toward her.<p>

When she saw the boy, Lily rubbed her eyes to see if she was seeing the real thing. She was. _Is that a fur coat? Where did he get that? _"How are you?" asked Jack. "Fine," Lily replied as she turned her gaze to Thomas. "What are you doing here?" "Uh, well, I just came to help." Jack, seeing Lily's confusion, introduced the boy. "Allow me to introduce, Thomas, and his godly parent is unkno-." "Ares," Thomas interrupted. "Ares, you mean like the war-god?" Lily asked. "Yup." "Wow, it's too bad I don't know who my godly parent is." "Actually," Max intervened, "your mom claimed you." "Really? When and who?" "Well, I saw her claim you while you were taking care of your plants." "Ok, but who is she?" "Guess." Lily thought for a moment. "Demeter?" "Right!" Max said with a laugh.

_I'm a daughter of Demeter. That explains what happened with the plants back home and the huge earth-fist I made. Hey, speaking of that. _Lily concentrated on the earth beneath her feeling the fertile soil under her. She drew energy from underneath until her body seemed to be brimming with it. Next she tried to imagine a shape. _Let's try a box. _After solidly placing the shape in her mind, she lifted her hand and let the energy loose. Jack asked, "What are you doing?" Suddenly, the ground rumbled and an enormous earth cube started to rise out of the soil.

"Holy smokes!" shouted Thomas. Lily continued to concentrate. The cube stopped rising and stood on the ground as if it had always been there. _I did it. I can't believe it. I did it. _She smiled triumphantly beforeshe began to fall down. Max jumped in. "You have got to stop doing that." "What? You too afraid of what I might do if I accidentally crushed you?" Lily, who was almost feeling like she was going to pass out, asked jokingly. "Are you kidding? That thing you just made could have easily crushed all of us!" replied Max. "How did you do that?" Thomas asked in awe. "I just absorb energy from the earth and then imagine what I want to make. But it's exhausting." "Wait, Lily, try doing that but don't try to build anything," Jack said. "Why?" "If you can get energy to build stuff, then you can get energy to make you not feel exhausted." _It's worth a shot._

In the same process, she absorbed the energy beneath her but this time not as much as the first time. When she was done, she felt like she was good as new. "I feel great! Wow, as long as I have the ground under my feet, I can have unlimited energy." Everyone considered the fact for a moment. _I might never have to sleep again. _"Wait, Lily," started Thomas, "what are all these dead grass and plants around us doing here. They weren't here before."

Lily crouched to the ground and examined it. _He's right. All the grass and plants around here are all shriveled up. _She was further surprised when she tried to dig her hand into the soil. It was so hard that she had to use her shoe to loosen it up. When she managed to get a handful, she was shocked to find it dry and drained of all nutrients. "When you used all of that energy, you absorbed it from the soil and the plants living in it. You better save it for combat and healing," Jack suggested. Lily could only nod feeling terrible for killing all of the plants.

A shadow dashed through the trees. Max grumbled, "Now what? Can't Tarturus give it a break?" Thomas drew his sword and got ready to fight. Jack quickly found the dagger which Lily had dropped, and prepared for battle. Lily moved to a patch of earth that was still fertile and then began to absorb energy waiting for the time to use it. Max held his reed pipes over his mouth ready to blow. The shadow began to increase speed, dashing back and forth. "It's just a hellhound," Jack said letting out a sigh. A scream sounded in the evening sky. "Great, another helpless person!" shouted Thomas in frustration. Lily cleared her throat. "I mean, uh, let's go and see what it was," Thomas quickly corrected.

**Well, what'd you think? I'm planning on bringing in a new character but who is it? You'll find out in the next chapter. Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 4

Thomas knew it would be easy to find the girl. _Just listen for the screams._ He wouldn't be surprised if all the animals in the woods moved to a different state. _I know I would. _The hellhound roared which was followed by more screaming. "Ah, it almost makes me miss the Nemean Lion," stated Max with his hands over his ears. "Tell me about it," Thomas replied. _Why do we have to meet more monsters? Isn't almost being killed one too many? _Lily stopped in her tracks. The others stopped as well. "What is it?" asked Thomas. "I think I can feel the vibration from the hellhound's movement." "What, you mean you can use the ground like a GPS?" "Uh, sort of," she replied.

Lily dropped to the ground while everybody else remained silent. "Yes, I hear it. It's circling a tree. I think somebody's up there." "You sure it's not a bear? Because if it is, we don't have to save it," commented Jack. Max was not amused by such an insult to nature. "Even if it was a bear, how can a bear scream?" "A girl one?" suggested Thomas. Max slapped his hand onto his eyes. "You guys are hopeless!" A roar ripped through the evening night. "Okay then," Thomas started, "let's kill it and save whoever's up there." Jack commanded, "Thomas, you come with me. We'll take on the hellhound while Lily and Max rescue the person up on the tree." They quickly dispersed into two groups. One of them headed toward the hellhound and the other headed toward the tree.

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><p>Haley hugged the tree as tight as she could while a huge, crazy dog-like creature tried to climb up the tree. <em>I knew I shouldn't have run away. <em>She was the daughter of a male super-model and she had the promising looks of being one too. On this particular day, they had had a heated argument about the possibility of sending her to a boarding school. The idea simply horrified and angered her to run away from their luxurious mansion. Now she was being chased by a crazed canine! _It probably has rabies, _she told herself but knew she was just trying to fool herself. The teeth and sheer size of it was enough to understand that this was no dog!

She heard the scrape of claws against the bark as the thing tried to climb up again but this time, there was no sound of it falling back to the ground. Haley looked down and screamed. It had managed to find a foothold on a branch and it began to climb higher up the tree. Desperately, she tried to look for a tree nearby to jump into. An old oak tree lay a few feet away from her. _Just got to jump. _She slowly stood on the branch she was on. The height made her feel dizzy and afraid but the sound of the thing clawing its way up forced her to walk to the end of the branch. _Don't look down, don't look down, _she ordered herself. She glanced behind her and froze. The monster-dog was only a few feet away from her.

Haley couldn't move as fear stiffened her body. The hellhound climbed on top of the branch making it creak underneath them. Both stared at each other for a few moments. Finally, Haley managed to force her legs to work. Startled by the sudden movement, the killer-canine sprung at her. Haley jumped toward the tree and managed to grab hold of a branch. A yelp sounded behind her but she didn't bother to look. She scrambled down the tree trunk and landed roughly to the ground. A girl and a boy rushed toward her. _Great, people get to see my most embarrassing moment. _The girl asked worriedly, "Are you all right?" "Are you kidding? That thing almost killed me! How can I be all right?" Before anyone could respond, two handsome boys with weapons came rushing in. _I'll have to check them out later, _she told herself. One of them gasped and said, "We killed it but there's a whole group of hellhounds coming." "What?" Haley asked. "Just run!" the other boy shouted.

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><p>And run they did. "We can't hold them off. We've got to get to a safe haven," said Thomas. <em>Why does it always have to be hellhounds with newbies? <em>"I made a shelter not too far away from here. It has boxes of arrows and weapons. We can make a stand there." Thomas nodded in assent. "Can anyone please tell me what's going on?" shouted the girl they had just rescued. "Don't worry. We'll tell you everything once we get there. Right now, we've got to run!" replied Thomas. "What are hellhounds?" the girl continued ignoring Thomas' request. "Didn't you hear me?" asked Thomas. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to know." "They're the monster you just saw," answered Lily. Fear could be clearly seen on her face. "But I thought you killed it." "We did, but there's a whole pack behind us!" She gulped and ran faster. _Well, that made her bossiness close up._

Thomas looked behind him. The pack of hellhounds had split into groups of threes and fours. He turned to Jack and asked, "How much longer?" "Just a little more. It's over that hill." Thomas looked ahead and saw a steep incline of earth. "They'll catch us before we reach the top," shouted the girl they had rescued. _Yeah, kind of obvious. Wait, I got it! _"Lily," Thomas ordered, "What?" "Can you try making a staircase up the hill?" Lily studied at the hill. "I think so. Just buy me some time!" Thomas changed his grip on his sword and raised his shield. "Protect Lily!" he said to Jack and Max. "Hey," the new girl shouted, "what about me?" "Her, too," Thomas said. A bush rustled near them. _Here they come._

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><p>Lily absorbed the energy from the soil beneath her and began to concentrate on making a staircase climbing the hill. The grass and plants around her began to yellow but she stopped then. The energy she had collected before prevented the need to kill the plants in the soil. <em>Now, to make a staircase. <em>The girl they had rescued was screaming her head off which didn't really help her focus. Finally, she let go of her energy and the hill rumbled. Steps began to form on the hillside. "Come on!" she shouted to the boys as she pulled the girl by her hand up the steps as they were created. Max and Jack went up first. Meanwhile, Thomas held the hellhounds at bay. "Get up here!" shouted Jack. Slicing into another hellhound, he said back, "I can't! They'll catch us if I don't hold them off. Get more arrows for your bow and hurry!" "Go," Lily said, "I'll help him." Jack nodded and headed toward the shelter pulling the girl behind him.

_Let's see how well I can do with earth. But that'll take a lot of energy. I got it! _She ran toward a tree and put her hands on its trunk. _Sorry, _she apologized silently as she began to absorb energy. When she had been charged to the max, she looked at the tree. Some of its branches had fallen off and many of its leaves were yellow but other than that, it was all right. _That's better. _She hurried toward the top of the hill. Thomas was butting his shield into one of the hellhounds face while fending off a few others with his sword. "Any time would be nice now!" he shouted. "Thomas, come up!" "I can't! If I do, they'll overcome us!" "Trust me!" He swung his sword causing most of the hellhounds to jump back and ran up the hill. Lily concentrated and then let out most of the energy out of her. Earth spikes grew out of the ground and piercing the majority of hellhounds. Explosions of dust dotted the spiked area. Thomas had momentarily gawked at the sight but then hurriedly climbed up the steps.

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><p>When Thomas saw the spikes come out like some sort of booby traps, the idea of never getting on Lily's bad side grew. <em>She could stick whatever she liked in me. <em>That blood-chilling thought followed him as he neared the top of the hill. He looked back and wasn't surprised to see that the remaining hellhounds had fled. _I know I would. _He reached the top and Lily helped him up. She looked like it hadn't even tired her a bit. _She's kind of invincible because she can absorb energy, duh. _"You did great. Thanks for helping out," he said to her. "Yeah, you did great too. I'm surprised you weren't killed." "Geez, thanks for telling me that." She grinned. The longing for a friendship raked Thomas' heart but he kicked it out. _Once things get settled down, I'll have to leave. _Jack and the girl they had rescued came running toward them. Jack, with a fresh quiver of arrows, sprinted over to them while the girl had a dagger in a belt which was around her waist.

"What happened?" Jack asked. "Where are all the hellhounds?" Thomas motioned him to look at the bottom of the hill. Like Thomas, Jack just gawked. "You did that?" he asked. "Yes," Lily replied a bit embarrassed. "You are simply amazing!" he shouted. _Yup, besides the fact that you can kill anyone who says otherwise, _Thomas mentally added. The girl they had met ten minutes ago huffed. "Whoops, sorry!" said Thomas. "I'm Thomas." The others introduced themselves until they realized they were missing someone. "Wait, where's Max?" asked Lily. Jack's face became horrified. "I don't know! I forgot about him!"

Thomas felt an old fear come from his memories. _No, not again! _"Max! Max! Max!" he shouted. "Who's Max," asked new girl. "He's one of my friends. Help us find him." They continued looking for him only to find his reed pipes. "Did they get him?" Lily asked with tears in her eyes. _Why, why did he have to die? _Thomas felt pain and anger squeezing into his lungs. "He's not dead," Jack simply replied. Thomas looked at him like he was crazy. "They would have eaten him right then unless they had a purpose. He's still alive. But he's been captured." "Who would want to capture him?" Lily asked. "I don't know," Jack replied, "but we have to get you and, uh, who are you?" The girl huffed again and responded, "Haley Manroe." "Like I said, we have to get you and Haley to safety before we do anything else."

"So you're just going to leave him?" asked Thomas furiously. "I didn't say that. What I'm saying is that we should take some time to rest and think." "But they might kill him if we don't rescue him." Jack slung an arrow onto his bow and pointed it at Thomas. "If I remember correctly, you're a traitor. My mission was to escort Lily back to Camp Half Blood." The two boys looked like they were in for a brawl. "I'll get Max back," Thomas said angrily. "Ha, I'd be surprised if you made it out alive without any help," Jack mocked. Thomas picked up Max's reed pipes and dusted them off. "Why do you care for a satyr, anyway?" Thomas put the pipes in his pocket and replied, "Because a satyr was the best friend I ever had. He died for me and I plan to do the same thing if I have to, to save Max." "If you succeed, then I will stop calling you a traitor."

Determination gave him energy to his worn out body. _I'll show you that I'm not who I was. _He strapped his shield onto his back and put his sword back in its sheath. Lily said to him, "Thank you. I'm sorry I made you do this." "You didn't," Thomas replied. "I was looking forward to having a chance to clear my name even if it's only to one person." With that said, he dropped to the ground, looked at the tracks of the hellhounds, and followed along it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's Chapter 5 for Outcast. I'm sorry that I haven't written so long so for a bonus I'm going to write longer than usual. If you haven't already guessed, Haley is daughter of Aphrodite which will bring some confusion into the story. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Lily watched sadly as Thomas disappeared into the woods. She would have gone with him if it wasn't for Jack. _Why was he so rough on him? How does he know that Thomas hasn't changed? _She became angry at the son of Apollo for acting so hostile toward him. Haley had asked so many questions that Lily's head began to swim. _I wonder if I was I like this when I asked Thomas and Jack my questions. _A bad feeling told her that she was correct. "Who's your mom?" Haley shot at her. "Oh, me, Demeter." "Cool, what about you?" she asked more interestedly in Jack. "Apollo," he simply replied.

"Who's my mom?" she quickly asked in succession. "Um, I'm not too sure," Jack replied. "Then how do you know who your dad is?" she asked. "Uh, they claim you when you do something that reflects you parent's personality." "What should I do then to get claimed?" "Um, it differs for each person. Do you have any interests?" "You," Haley replied flirtingly. _I think I know who her mom is, _Lily silently thought. Jack's cheeks reddened. A flash of pink floated over Haley's head. It was in the shape of a dove with hearts around it. _I knew it. _Haley noticed it too. "Oh, is that claiming?" "Yup, exactly that," Jack replied. "Great, then who is it?" "Aphrodite," Lily put in. "Oh, no wonder all the boys like me," she said as she glanced at Jack. _Show off, _Lily though angrily. Eager to change the subject, the daughter of Demeter asked Jack, "So, what's Camp Half Blood like?" "It's great! You learn to train and home in on your skills. Some are just summer campers while others stay year long." "Why's that?" Lily asked curiously.

"It's because some of the demigods are super strong, especially the sons and daughters of the Big Three." "Like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades?" Haley asked. "Yup, monsters can smell demigods from far away. The stronger you are, the stronger your scent. They come storming in to attack you." "Then how is the camp safe?" "It has magical boundaries which blocks any monster from going through it." "Oh, that's good," stated Lily. "Cabins are divided depending on their immortal parent." "So, you mean that the kids in there are related to me?" Lily asked. "Actually, they are your half brothers or sisters. It goes with the same with you Haley." "What are the kids like in my cabin," the daughter of Aphrodite asked excitedly. "Uh, well, they really care about their looks and probably have all the lotions and manicure things you can think about." "Yay, finally, I find a place where I can do things I usually do, with others!" _Dumb, _Lily stated in her mind. "We'll stay in the shelter for the night. There's a box of snacks inside. Let's rest for now."

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><p>Thomas dropped down and took off his backpack. He took out one of the stale loaves inside and began to eat. The Nemean Lion's fur jacket was inside the bag because Thomas deemed it to itchy to wear during the trek. <em>I'll use it when I go into combat. <em>Night had fallen in the forest and noises began to creak around him. _It's getting late. I'll stop for the night._ He packed everything up and climbed up a tree. Thomas couldn't remember sleeping in a soft bed, a long forgotten luxury. He tried to lie down on a branch as comfortably as he could and then slept. A dream found him.

Thomas was on a beach. It was polluted with trash and oil. It was something that you usually saw a swamp monster emerge from. Ares stood looking out at the sea. "How ya doin, kid?" "What do you want?" "Whoa there, that's no way to treat your father!" "Oh yeah, the same guy who left me to be abused by my mother!" "Look, kid, I only came here to tell you that you something is coming up." "What is it?" "Gaea is rising and she's just baiting you with that wimpy satyr." "What, are you saying that I should just quit because Max is just not worth the trouble." "A good soldier knows when to make sacrifices." "A good soldier never leaves a man behind!" Thomas retorted. The two of them, father and son, both gritted teeth at each other. "If you continue, you'll get your friends but many of them will die. Leave the satyr and forget everything you saw today. Abandon your friends because they'll always betray you at one point."

Ares turned around and disappeared. Thomas jolted awake and found himself squinting his eyes against the morning sun. _Having no friends, I've already understood that for too long. No matter what happens, I won't regret making a friend. _He stretched a bit before jumping down. _I'll find Max and when I do, I'll make sure he gets back to Camp. _He looked for the trail but was surprised to find it gone. _Uh, right after I find out where he is. _Thomas bended down to study the ground but was unable to find even one track. _What's going on? I could have sworn they were here. _Then he remembered what Ares had stated. _Gaea is rising. _He tried to walk forward but found that his feet stuck to the ground. _What the-. _He pulled at his feet until one of them had been released. Unable to balance properly, he had to lower his foot back onto the ground. His shoe stuck on like superglue. _Okay, this might be harder than I thought._

* * *

><p>Lily and Jack had begun to talk while Haley, who was pretending to sleep, listened secretly. "So what makes Thomas a traitor?" Lily asked. "A few months ago, the Titans tried to make a come-back." "Titans?" "Yup, they were big trouble but their leader, Kronos, many times lured demigods to his side. One of them was Thomas." "Why'd he do it?" Jack snorted. "He's a traitor. That fact alone is enough for me." <em>Hmm, looks like being a demigod is always dangerous, <em>Haley thought in her mind. "But maybe he's changed." "I already told you. I said I wouldn't call him a traitor if he got Max back." "Isn't that proof that he might not be the person he was? What kind of person would risk his life for someone else's?" "Still," Jack persisted, "you can never be sure." "Were you there when the war started?" "Yes, and it wasn't fun." "Did a lot of campers die?"

"Yeah, on both sides, many demigods died. One of the reasons why many demigods chose to join Kronos, was because they were never claimed." "Why? Did they do anything wrong?" "No, but it seems that sometimes the gods forget." _Well, that's sad. _Haley began to wonder what it was like to never be noticed by your parent. She couldn't even start to imagine. Almost everybody always paid attention to her. _Well, except for these guys. _"Thomas was one of the people who betrayed us and switched side." "Did you know anything about him before he joined Kronos?" Jack considered for a moment. "I've heard rumors that on the way to Camp Half Blood, his friend, a satyr, was killed by a hellhound." "That's terrible! No wonder he wanted to save Max." Haley was shocked. _Dead? His best friend died! _"He was always grumpy and an introvert. He hardly befriended anyone and he was never claimed." "What do you mean, never claimed?"

"Sometimes," Jack said a bit sadly, "the gods forget their children or a bit lazy. There used to be a lot of guys like that before the war." Haley felt a twinge of anger at the gods. _Looks like they are sometimes like any ordinary person. _Jack looked out of the only window in their shelter. "Being a demigod is not fun," he said concisely. "No kidding, look what just happened during the first few days of me knowing that I'm a demigod. Wait, what do you mean before the war?" "Percy, a son of Poseidon, lead us to victory by defeating Kronos." _Wow, sounds like he's brave and courageous. I wonder if all the boys there are handsome. I better check him out too. _

"Afterwards, the gods granted him a wish." "Huh, you mean like he could wish for anything?" "Yup, even become a god." "Did he?" Lily asked intrigued. "No, instead he made the gods promise to claim their kids at the age of thirteen." "So he gave up the chance of living forever for the sake of others?" "Yup, pretty much sums it up." _I can't wait to go to the camp,_ Haley thought with high hopes. Lily asked, "He must be a nice guy." "Yeah, probably the most popular guy at camp. His best friend is a satyr named Grover. He also has a girlfriend Annabeth who is a daughter of Athena." _Oh great, looks like there's going to be some competition. _"Hmm," Lily mused, "he sounds sort of like Thomas." "No way! Percy's a hero while Thomas is a traitor!" _This guy sure has some problems in forgiving. _A sound came from outside. "What's that?" Haley suddenly asked. Someone shouted in Greek, "Help!"

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><p>Thomas was at the point of screaming in frustration. <em>I can't move my legs. <em>He tried for the hundredth time to lift his right foot. _Let go already! _The shoe didn't even move. He looked around for a branch to pull on. After a few minutes of considering, he chose a thick branch one or two feet above him. Thomas stretched his hands for it but realized that he couldn't reach it. _Gotta get of here. If I stay here, then I'll be dead meat for sure. Hold on, it's just my shoes that are stuck. _With some grunting, he managed to take his feet out of his shoes and stood on them. _I don't like this idea but I don't have any other choice. _He crouched and jumped toward the branch. The feeling of rough bark on his hand was none too pleasant. He winced at the pain but held on firmly. Quickly he pulled himself onto it and looked down at his shoes. They were still there as if it was waiting for someone to just pick it up and go. He looked at his socks and grimaced. _This won't be a nice trip._

* * *

><p>Alexander stood in front of the sorcerer who was holding Celia with a dagger at her throat. "Let her go!" he said in a threatening voice. "And I might spare you a terrible death." The sorcerer smiled and replied, "Oh, I know that I'm going to die. I already foretold it. But that doesn't mean that I won't die without ruining your life." He raised his free hand and a portal appeared. "Now, you will never see her again!" he cackled delightfully. "No!" Alexander said as he tried to intervene but could not stop the mad man from pushing Celiea into it. She disappeared into the darkness. An arrow whistled as it screamed toward the dark magician meeting its mark. Alexander looked back to see his friends, Nevis and Torka, come running toward him. He looked at the portal only to find out that it was becoming smaller. "Bring her back," he commanded as he put his spear at the man's throat. "Can't do anything now. After all, I'm dying." The sorcerer died laughing. Alexander looked at the shrinking portal and his friends. "I'll come back to you! I promise!" he shouted to them. Taking a steely breath, he jumped in.<p>

He watched the world around him fade as he fell down into a darkness that felt like death. A light cut through it and the black portal around him faded. He found himself on the ground with his spear still in his hand. He looked around and was surprised to see the identical surroundings he was in just a few moments ago. _What, where could this be? _He went to a piece of clearing where the sorcerer had died. All that remained was a skeleton. "Celia?" he shouted. There was no answer. "Celia?" he repeated again. Still there was no reply. Sh_e couldn't have gone too far. I just have to find her. _Confidently, he began to search. The forest around him was so familiar and yet not. _I could swear that these woods were the same woods we chased the sorcerer. _Alexander wondered if he hadn't gone anywhere when he entered the portal. _But then where is Nevis and Torka? _A growl came from behind him. "Cursed demon!" he shouted as he laid his eyes on the hellhound.

A chorus of growls came from around him. He dashed his eyes back and forth. Hellhounds surrounded him and all of them had lunch on their mind. Alexander took his spear and began to spin it around and around. It did little but intimidated them for a second before they started walking toward him again. _Come here devils! I'll show you why you don't mess with me! _A hellhound jumped experimentally toward him which was its fatal mistake. Alexander instinctively stretched his spear which impaled itself into the monster's stomach. With a yelp, it exploded into dust. _You stupid monsters wouldn't know any better. _The hellhounds, seeing what he had done to one of their kind in a second, stopped approaching him. _How kind of you, just let me take you all down by myself. I assure you it will be fun, for me. _He charged at the nearest hellhound.

The hellhound tried to back away but knocked into one of its own and by that time it was too late. The spear went through it but Alexander didn't stop there. He continued forward swishing his spear back and forth making room for him to run through. Eventually, he gave up the swishing when he had made an opening. He bolted straight for it while the hellhounds were still in disarray and ran as fast as he could when he was in the open. The monsters had gotten over the disorder and chased after him. _I can't take all of these alone. Perhaps there are fellow heroes nearby. _"Help!" he shouted. "Anyone?" A hellhound had managed to catch up to him and lunged. Alexander turned but slipped and fell to the ground. _At least, I died fighting. _An arrow struck the monster in midair and it exploded into dust. "Nevis?" he asked hopefully but was knocked out by a blow from a hellhound's paw.

**So, what'd you think? Perhaps I'm bringing in new characters a bit too soon. Sorry, Nevis and Torka aren't such good names but at least they're reasonable. Anyway, there's still a lot to be learned about Alexander and missing Celia. So what'll happen? Nope, not going to tell you. Meanwhile, please review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm updating this fast because ideas are just teeming out of my head. Uh, not literally but you get the idea. This chapter will unlock some secrets about Alexander. I hope you like it.**

Chapter 6

Jack had calmly taken out the hellhounds closest to the boy who had called out for help. Lily had started to create an earth fist while Haley ran back and forth with arrows for Jack. The daughter of Demeter looked closely at the boy to see if it was Thomas, as she absorbed energy. _That's not Thomas. Thomas had a sword and a shield not a spear. _Jack quickly said to her, "Use that hand to get that guy to safety. Then you can smash those annoying canines. Lily nodded and began to focus her now fully formed hand to pick up the knocked out boy. Most of the hellhounds had stayed away from the dreadful hand but one braver than the rest stubbornly try to get near the boy. _Get away you annoying dog! _She expertly flicked her fingers and the earth counterpart followed. The monster went flying and tumbled into some others before exploding into dust.

_That will show them! _As gently as she could, she gently picked up the unconscious boy and his spear and put him safely on top of a large round boulder. _Those things won't be able to climb on top of it because of its smooth surface. Now, time to do some smashing. _She raised her fist getting ready to crush a hellhound but then her earth limb suddenly crumbled. _What? I didn't do that. _She checked to see if she was tired but she hadn't even felt any fatigue. Looking beneath her, she didn't see anything that said the ground was out nutrients. The grass looked like the same color it had been a long time ago. _What's happening? _The hellhounds realizing that the danger was gone lunged toward the group on top of the hill. _Oh no! _

Desperately, she tried making an earth fist again but nothing happened. Jack was now doing rapid fire at the monsters charging toward them. "Lily, what's wrong?" "I don't know. I somehow can't do it." "Get inside the shack and get a weapon. We're going to make a stand in there." Lily dashed inside almost knocking into Haley who was holding a bunch of arrows. "Get inside!" "Huh, no way, I've got to get these to Jack." "No, he's coming inside too. So hurry up and get inside!" "Why? What about your magnificent earth powers?" "They don't work," Lily replied annoyed at how Haley had stressed the word 'magnificent.' "Oh, that's so sad," she said sadly looking at her with a playful look. "Ugh!" Lily shouted and pushed her in as she entered. Jack let out another volley of arrows before retreating into the shelter with them. The daughter of Demeter grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows herself. _I don't know if this'll work but it's better than waiting here for some monster to chew me up. _

Jack drew next to the window and took a peek before letting one of his arrows fly. A yelp sounded not far and then the funny 'poof' followed as it exploded into dust. _My turn. _Lily notched an arrow and tried to steady her breathing. She cautiously elevated herself to the height of the window and looked for a target. A hellhound was strolling a few feet away from the shelter. "Why aren't they busting into here?" she asked quietly. "Because they don't know we're here," Jack said even softer. "Don't shoot or you'll give our position away." She nodded and reduced pressure on the string. Haley had begun to whimper. The sound of the hellhound's feet outside stopped. All three of them looked horrified. _Why does she have to ruin it?_ Sniffing could be heard as the monster headed toward the shelter. "You think the others are somewhere else?" Haley asked to Jack. "I'm not sure." The son of Apollo drew back his bowstring waiting to use it if necessary. Everything was quiet for a moment before the hellhound dove through the door. Haley screamed while Lily fumbled to notch an arrow. Jack released his arrow but missed it completely because of the sudden attack. The monster opened its jaws to bite until it was hit squarely on the back by a spear.

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><p>Alexander had woken up with a brain-wracking pain in his head. <em>Ugh, feels like the time Torka accidentally hit me in the head with his club. <em>He lifted his hand to the top of his head and groaned at the pain. Suddenly, the past events flashed through his mind. _What had happened? The portal, Celia missing, monsters, and an arrow? _There were just too many things he didn't know. His spear lay on top of him which he thought odd. _How'd that get there? _Then he looked at where he was lying on. _How'd I get here? _The sound of fighting could be heard from an area not far away. _I better find out who's fighting. Perhaps they will tell me what's going on. _His thoughts drifted to his past memories while he jogged toward the sound of battle. _To think, that things were going perfectly until now. _He jumped over a root sticking out of the ground. _But I guess that's how it is with us. When you're an offspring of a god, a joyous day can become a grieving day. _He flipped through the pages of his past to the very beginning.

_The boy was not even ten but he had mastered the use of a spear. His mother, former wife of Ares, had remarried to a kind yet brave army officer. The boy's stepfather had given the spear to him as a gift saying, "Swords are good but when put up against a spear, and they are at a disadvantage. Remember that the spear lets you hit them but not them to hit you." Those words were the motto for his life even after hearing the grave news of his stepfather's death in battle. His mother had decided to send him to Chiron so that he could learn to be a true hero. This boy was Alexander. His mother had named him after the famous conqueror hoping that his son would live up to be as amazing as him. Alexander arrived at Chiron's camp after many days of traveling. He was exhausted but still walked with dignity and pride. All the heroes present easily identified him as a great leader and fighter. One of the first, Torka, immediately befriended Alexander and led him toward Chiron. "You'll always feel at home here," he had positively stated to Alexander and he soon found out that Torka was right._

_After a year of training, a new-comer named Nevas came to stay at their camp. In the same way, Torka easily won friendship over the new trainee and introduced him to Alexander. These three became the best of friends. They would always cheer each other on, comfort them during hard times, and always be there to talk to. Their skills with weapons were as big as their friendship. Torka excelled in heavy weaponry be it a heavy two handed sword or a mighty axe, he could take on anyone in close combat. Nevas was the one you could count on to cover your back. His arrows seemed to act alive because they always seemed to do what Nevas wanted. As for Alexander, his amazing use of his spear made him a legend in many parts of Greece. Everything went well until Celia entered the camp. During that time, Alexander went through a very confusing time. He had feelings for her sure but wasn't sure if he was really sincere about it. _

_One day, word came out that a sorcerer had begun to terrorize people in a certain village. Alexander, Torka, and Devis were sent to investigate and if needed, get rid of the threat. They soon found out that it was indeed a sorcerer but could not kill him for he had escaped into a portal. Without a bit of fear, they followed him only to find themselves in a deep, dark forest. They split up hoping to find him before he escaped again. Alexander was the first to spot him which led to a great chase but stopped when the sorcerer met a dead end. By then, Alexander had realized that Celia was captured by the sorcerer and the things that occurred afterwards left Alexander at where he was right now._

Alexander could hear that the sounds of the battle had died down. _Hmm, I wonder what happened._ Crouching low, he walked toward a tree and took a look. The hellhounds, now considerably less than before, had dispersed with each of them trying to find their prey by themselves. _This is not good. I can't go far without being spotted. _He noticed a shed on top of the hill and decided to head for it first. _Perhaps the person who shot the arrow is there. _With care, he ran in quick bursts slowing down and speeding up depending on the number of hellhounds near him. He held his spear with both hands and tried to make sure it didn't hit any trees. The steepness of the hill, Alexander knew, would make climbing it a very hard and sluggish. He looked behind him and realized that most of the hellhounds were gone. _Maybe they gave up, _he mused as started to climb the hill.

About halfway up, his mind drifted to the question he had been asking himself so many times. _Where am I? This looks similar to the forest I was in before but yet it's so different. _He heaved himself another few feet before continuing to think. _I wonder if this is even Greece. _The top was drawing closer as Alexander pulled himself a few more feet. _If it isn't, then Celia could be anywhere…. I could be anywhere. _The thought was forgotten when he heard the sniffing of a hellhound on top of the hill. He froze and held his weapon at the ready. Sniffing filled the air. Alexander waited patiently for an outcome. _Either it finds out I'm here or it leaves me alone. Both of them I can handle. _The rustling of movement could be heard and the confused demigod heard a crash near him. He climbed the last few feet and was shocked to find the hellhound in the shelter. Born with quick reflexes, Alexander threw his spear at the monster. The thousands of hoursof practice paid off when it struck true.

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><p>Lily was shocked at the truth that she could have easily died right then. Her heart was still beating hard from the fright of the hellhound crashing in. The spear was stuck into the floor of the shelter. Jack put back the arrow he had drawn into his quiver after the hellhound had died. "Hello?" he asked experimentally. A foreign language replied but Lily understood it quite easily. Translated, the voice had said, "Hello, is there anyone there?" "Greek? Who's that?" Jack muttered. "That was Greek?" Haley asked confused. "Yeah, did you understand too?" the son of Apollo asked. Lily and Haley nodded. "Well, might as well see who it is. We do have to thank him for saving us." He headed outside while the girls hesitated before following.<p>

The first thing Lily realized about the boy was that he looked so similar to Thomas. However, all Haley saw was another handsome boy to flirt with. She thought angrily, _What a jerk!, _when she saw Haley bat her eyes at the new boy. _If that's what all she's going to do, then we should just dump her! _Jack tried to communicate with the new boy but made no progress. The boy pointed at Jack and said, "Nevas," before rattling out something in Greek. Jack then pointed at himself and said, "Jack." The boy looked confused and then pointed at himself and replied, "Alexander," before he spoke in Greek again. _Kind of like the 'Me Tarzan. You Jane.' Method, _Lily considered humorously. Both boys looked frustrated at the fact that they could only learn each other's name. Lily's mind wandered off again and wondered how Thomas was doing.

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><p>"Ouch! Man, that hurts!" Thomas shouted as a branch slapped into his face when he jumped onto a branch. Immediately, tears of pain sprang to his eyes. The socks were soiled with dirt and splinters which continuously poked into his feet. <em>Ugh, I didn't know how important shoes are until now. <em>Currently, he had no idea where he was or even if he was even near the trail. For all he could know, Max could be hundreds of miles away. _Some hero I am! The legends will tell about the hero, with only socks to trek miles of superglue dirt, who eventually died. _He mentally slapped himself for thinking the thought. _You can't give up. You promised to get Max back. No way are you dying. _Thomas jumped to the next nearest branch renewed with power and ignored the exhaustion that tempted him to give up. _I ain't ever givin up! Never!_

**All righty! Looks like things are quieting down a bit but I'll make sure that it doesn't last for too long. In the mean time, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yikes! It's been awhile since I last wrote****. Sorry about that. This chapter will focus a bit on Celia and Alexander. Please enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 7

Alexander was getting more and more confused by the second. The three teenagers looked like Greek and yet they spoke a language he had never heard before. _What is going on? _His eyes turned toward to the two girls next to the boy in front of him hoping to find one of them to be Celia. A pretty girl batted her eyebrows at him but he barely noticed as he moved his eyes toward the next girl. This girl was just the opposite meaning that she was much smarter than the other. She studied him curiously with a keen eye which kind of scared him. _She's looking at me like she could easily take me out. I better behave when I'm around her. _

Gripping his spear tightly, Alexander had begun to become impatient. _I've got to find Celia and get back to the others. But how can I get around here without knowing the language. Perhaps they'll know Chiron. _"Do you know Chiron?" he asked hopefully. Surprisingly the boy in front of him nodded and motioned him to follow. He spoke with the two girls and they began to pack supplies and weapons. Soon the four of them were on their way. _Chiron, perhaps he'll tell me what's going on. _Alexander treaded with them through the forest as the three beside him began to chat. _It's so annoying that I can't understand a thing they're talking about. These three also dress differently. I've never seen these kinds of clothes, not even in the weirdest shops of Greece. I better hurry up and get myself familiar with this place. _

Celia blinked open her eyes. _What happened? _She lifted her upper body off the ground and looked around. _These woods, they almost look like the same ones that we-. _Memories came roaring down on her. _The sorcerer, the portal, and me falling down. Where is this place?_ She searched for her dagger but then remembered that the sorcerer had taken it. _Curse that mad-man! But where are the others? _Her thoughts drifted toward Alexander. She remembered seeing him as she fell into the portal. _Did he follow me into the portal? _Worry dawned on her face. A crack came from a tree nearby.

Without thinking, she picked up a stone and threw it as hard as she could at it. A shout of pain sounded and Greek curse followed. _Alexander? _She ran toward the tree with high hopes and nearly believed the boy on the ground rubbing his back was her boyfriend. However, the unknown language told her that he wasn't. The boy recovering from his shock drew his sword and shrugged his shield onto his arm. _Well, he acts like Alexander. _She understood nothing as the boy spoke to her. _Why doesn't he speak Greek? That curse was definitely Greek if I'm not mistaken. _"Why do you speak in a foreign tongue?" she asked confused. The boy frowned in concentration. _Maybe he does understand me. _But the response told her otherwise. _Ugh, this is so frustrating!_

Thomas knew that a bruise would be swelling up on his back. _This is just great! How many times do I have to get hurt and meet someone new? _"Who are you and why did you throw that rock at me?" The girl looked so confused that he wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. She then replied in, _Greek. _He could just make out a few words of what she said but it didn't give him any idea of what she was talking about. _Now what? _"Can't you speak English?" he asked. Again the look of confusion crossed her face. _I guess not. _He lowered his shield and sheathed his sword. _I can't just leave her like this but I can't stray from my quest in finding Max. I better get her to Jack. She'll be better off at camp then questing with me. _He motioned her to follow as he headed back the direction he had just trekked. A nagging thought crossed his mind. _The ground isn't sticky anymore. Was it just a freak of my imagination?_

Lily wondered if they could drop Haley off at the nearest gas station because she wouldn't stop talking and flirting with the two boys. _I guess she's one of those types. _She had remembered some girls like Haley who would never leave a boy alone. _They're so stupid and this girl is no different. _Jack and the other boy, who apparently was named Alexander, continued to run in silence ignoring Haley's attempts for attention. _Well, at least they ignore her. Perhaps that'll teach that poor excuse of a girl some manners! _They had passed so many hills that she sometimes wondered if they were on a sea of grass. "How much longer before we get to Camp Half Blood?" she asked Jack. "Just a bit more. See that tree?" Lily narrowed her eyes and could make out a tree with a fleece. _Wait, a fleece! Isn't there a law against that? _She nodded. "Beyond that is Camp Half Blood. We'll be safe there, for now." _Thomas, what are you doing right now?_

Thomas was heading toward the direction Jack and the two girls had gone. Even though he knew that even a bit of delay could make the chance of finding Max harder, he knew he couldn't just leave her. With some difficulty and quite a bit of pointing, Thomas had learned that the girl's name was Celia and was looking for someone named Alexander. _Well, that could be anyone. _The girl spoke to him again but Thomas could only understand bits of it here and there. "Um, where'd you come from?" he asked. Again he could only understand a few things she said, not that it really helped. Ahhh! Why in world is she not talking English? I mean, it's not like she popped from out of nowhere. Celia said something again but Thomas still couldn't make out the meaning. _Not knowing anything she's talking about makes me feel stupid._ He looked up ahead and saw the same shelter at the top of the hill. _Well, that's a start._

Lily couldn't believe her eyes. There before her stood a beautiful camp with a large ring of cabins. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!" Jack said cheerfully to the others. Like Lily, the other two were stunned at the sight. Campers milled around laughing chatting going along with their business. "This is amazing!" Lily nearly shouted out. "All those people are like us?" Haley asked. "Yup, um, except for the satyrs and the occasional monster," Jack replied as if it was nothing. Lily glanced at Alexander who was staring at a huge building. Then she saw something that she couldn't really believe. It was a man from the waist up and horse from the waist down. _A centaur. _She watched the centaur trot toward them smiling. "Hello, Jack. I see you've brought some friends," he said to the son of Apollo. Alexander suddenly shouted, "Chiron!" The centaur looked at Alexander curiously for a moment before saying at about the same volume, "Alexander!"

**So what'd you think? Good? Bad? Please review! If you want to suggest anything, please do!**


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